Facade

Fifty-One

Author's note: Surprise! An early update! There's a slight smut scene at the end, it's more of just foreplay because I wasn't writing... that out.

-Noah-

I was sitting across from my mother at some restaurant she had chosen. She was talking about her treatment today and while I wanted to know how they were going, I couldn't stop thinking about the girl I left in bed this morning with the sad smile that didn't reach her emerald eyes that I craved so much. She had forgotten the plans I had for the day with my mother, but put a smile on her face regardless, I knew her better though. I knew her fake smile when I saw it.

"Noah. Are you listening to me?" My mothers cold voice snapped me back into the present, causing me to nod my head while picking up my water glass, bringing it to my mouth to quench the dry feeling in my throat before looking at the woman who abused me as a child. That I somehow felt obligated to help in her time of need, when in my time of need she abandoned me for drugs.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm listening." My mother nodded, the look on her face telling me she knew I was lying, she crossed her arms when the waiter put her plate down in front of her before he placed mine down.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" My mother asked, placing the napkin in her lap while cutting into the steak she ordered. I hated the way she said 'her', it was like a sneer coming from her mouth. My jaw clenched while I sat my silverware calmly onto my plate.

"I already told you, she has a name. You need to use it." I softly glared at my mother while she rolled her eyes and ate a piece of the steak.

"You act like you're going to marry Willow. Noah, you are above her. You deserve more than the little puppy love you both shared. She was just a romp in bed; a notch on your bedpost. The baby dying was for the bes-" I stood up quickly when it fell from her mouth; my chair scraping against the floor loudly while I threw the napkin onto the table with a scoff while cutting her off. I could feel the eyes on us now as the noise disturbed other patrons in the restaurant, but I really didn't give a shit in the moment.

"Don't you ever, ever speak about my child. And you better not fucking ever degrade Willow as if she was nothing but a plaything to me. In case you forgot, I was going to marry her, did you forget you stole the ring that I worked my ass off to get made for her? You pawned it; for drugs! While she layed in a hospital bed giving birth to our dead child! I get that you're dying and you're trying to make things right, but you will never right the wrong that you caused that day. You dying is karma. I will marry her, she is the love of my life and she will be and is the mother to my children. Don't you ever fucking think you're above her. Nobody is above her on my list. You disrespect her and you disrespect me. I'm going home to the only woman who has always had my back and my best interest in her heart. Have a great day, hope it's as bright as your nasty fucking attitude." I spat, taking a few large bills from my pocket and threw them onto the table before picking up my leather jacket, shoving my hands into the pockets while I walked out of the restaurant and to my car.

She could find her own way home after those comments, I fucking told her, multiple times. Don't disrespect Willow or diminish the things she's gone through. My mother continued to do so, as if it wasn't enough she was bringing our dead child into it. Like she was a fucking bargaining chip to her.  I parked in the deck of the building, calming down before I got out and using the elevator to go up to our floor. I smiled when I entered the hallway, I could hear the music seeping from the cracks of the loft door, I could smell the food before I unlocked and pushed open the door, closing it audibly to not scare her. I rounded the corner into the kitchen, smiling wide at the sight in front of me.